Arsenal handed second chance at Barcelona left-back for £18m

Should Arsenal Sign Barcelona Left-Back Junior Firpo?

It’s a serious problem area for Arsenal once the summer comes around, as there is no alternative other than signing another left-back. Joel Lopez in the academy isn’t ready for the step up yet and Mikel Arteta would be better off fielding Per Mertesacker in the position rather than Kolasinac.

Firpo comes with the ‘Barcelona tag’, one that immediately constitutes him being a top class defender.

There are signs that he is. Playing at right-back for Barça in their second leg Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, he wasn’t beaten once by Kylian Mbappe and was the visitors’ best performer on the night. There is definite talent there, it just isn’t matched with the technical consistency you’d like the see. That area of his game needs improving.

As far as an overall package, the move doesn’t suit Arsenal.

It’s an undeniable hindrance, in some ways, about the number of homegrown players in the squad. Many of those likely to leave this summer make up that contingent – Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock – and replacing them with players to match the quota is essential.

25 years old in the summer means he’s of a good age, but Arsenal should be aiming for younger with an eye on developing for the longer term alongside Tierney.

£18m is an enticing figure, albeit probably more than the club would ideally like to part with for an understudy as, while Kieran Tierney would benefit from competition, he isn’t set to be dislodged any time soon.